This invention relates generally to a laryngoscope blade and more particularly relates to a disposable laryngoscope blade particularly useful with laryngoscope handles commonly referred to as Fiber Illuminated System or Green System Handles. More particularly, this invention relates to a disposable laryngoscope blade of a reduced number of component parts with attendant reduced assembly and manufacturing costs.
Laryngoscope blades are known to the art for examining and visualizing a patient's upper airway and for aiding in placement of an endotracheal tube during intubations. For example, an endotracheal tube is inserted into a patient's trachea to supply oxygen to the patient during a surgical procedure. Generally, a patient's trachea, or wind pipe, is covered by the tongue and the epiglottis which is attached to the base of the tongue at the back of the patient's mouth. For access to the trachea and insertion of the endotracheal tube, the tongue and epiglottis must be lifted to expose the trachea for endotracheal tube insertion. The typical laryngoscope used for this procedure includes a laryngoscope blade mounted to a laryngoscope handle. The laryngoscope blade is inserted under the patient's tongue and upon appropriate movement of the laryngoscope handle the laryngoscope blade lifts the patient's tongue and epiglottis exposing the trachea. Further typically, the laryngoscope blade is provided with an inclined slot which mounts to a hinge pin provided at the upper end of the laryngoscope handle and about which hinge pin the laryngoscope blade pivots to latch into an operating position at the upper end of the laryngoscope handle. As the laryngoscope blade pivots into the operating position, and is locked therein by suitable detents, the laryngoscope blade engages a switch member which closes an energization circuit in the laryngoscope handle causing a light source in the handle to emit light which is transmitted to and through an optic light pipe mounted on the laryngoscope blade to provide light to the end of the laryngoscope blade and to illuminate a patient's exposed trachea to facilitate visualization and insertion of the endotracheal tube into the trachea.
A laryngoscope blade of the type noted above is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,710 B1, patented Oct. 31, 2006, entitled DISPOSABLE LARYNGOSCOPE BLADES, George D. Granton, et al., inventors; this patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference as if fully reproduced herein. The disclosed laryngoscope blade, as will be noted from FIGS. 1-3 of this patent includes nine separate parts, namely, the blade 26, the heel portion 28, the light rod 34, ball poppets 46, 48 and 42 each of which poppet includes a ball and a springs for a total of the nine component parts. These component parts, particularly the poppets including the balls and springs, require considerable manual labor assembly with attendant unwanted assembly costs and expense.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a new and improved laryngoscope blade.
Further, there is a need in the art for a laryngoscope blade of a reduced number of parts and with attendant reduced assembly manufacturing costs which permit the blade to be made and sold at a price attractive and reasonable for a single use or disposable blade.